We escaped.

Fei has friends over.  Eric made Spaghetti for the 7 younguns and we took off to Lake Cowichan.  Scored some diet rootbeer and a mozza burger :)

We picked up this grey/black water tank for the 5th wheel for $50.  It's the wrong size but it will fit and it was a huge savings over ordering a new one.

Todays napping buddies.

It's always nice to have young people around.  It definitely keeps the house busy.

Nightmares

I've been woken up a few times through the night with a reoccurring nightmare.  It's 5am, I'm contemplating just getting up.  Kai just got up, perhaps I'll hang with him and some cartoons.  Oy.  

The dream - I'm running on forest trails and the 3 Chihuahuas are following me.  Cute, but extremely unplausable, I don't run and the girls might follow me but it's mostly unlikely Finn would.  Plus I ALWAYS leash them.  They just aren't as trustworthy as Miss Lacie was.  In the dream I convince Eric they're ready to do runs in the city which of course proves perilous for them over and over again.  Dognapped, tortured, run over, chased.  Brutal.  I normally dream about being in fields of flowers gathering forest creatures in my skirt pockets, think Snow White.  Haha.  

Saturday

James flight was canceled.  He spent a few boring hours at the Nanaimo airport before we went back and got him.  Bonus time.  Eric took him back super early this morning and he made it to Toronto ok today.

Yesterday Eric and I were out running errands.  He spotted an antique oak desk on the side of the road so he stopped to grab it.  We don't need it.  It's a nice one though so possibly for Jia's school work, or swap out for a desk we don't like as much, or maybe store it for Luk's room one day, or put it in the 5th wheel.  

There was a phone table too.  It's a project.  I've always wanted an old phone table and a place in the hall to sit and put on shoes. I told Eric I wanted old fashioned upholstery, cream with green leaves and pink roses.  LOOK at what he found in the thrift store. Seriously. 

Today Eric spent all day under the motorhome.  Something went catastrophicly wrong on the last trip with the exhaust and hydraulic leveling system.  We're camping next weekend but since Jia has to work and can stay home with Lili and Fei, we can just take the Cheese with the boys.

Last Day with James.

Hand of Man Museum.

Parks in Cow Bay.

Dinner at the Rock Cod

Not pictured but an hour and a half to get through Monopoly.  Wonder what bribery they used to keep Jia in the game?

Nurse Fei, rebandaging her Dad once we were home.

With an audience.

14 1/2 hour day for us.  Home for a debrief, a soak in the hot tub and then a snack with the end of the movie we didn't finish last night.

James leaves for Toronto tomorrow morning. The visit went by too fast. I already miss him.

NO surgery required!!

Yay!!  I think we'll celebrate by eating a Pirate Pak on the way home.  Haha.  We would have done that no matter what ;)  

We waited long enough for our appointment that I had a nap in the waiting room and Eric had to go add parking.  It was worth it to hear how great Luk has done with the afo's!  We were told this had almost zero chance of working, yet, IT WORKED.  No spinal cord surgery in the near future.  He will be moving into foot orthotics for four hours a day, bare feet four hours a day when lounging and the afo's the rest of the time.  We think his foot orthotics can be made from his afo mold so we only have to come back for the fitting.

We stopped at the mall for lunch.  No time for shopping.

The day has been timed perfectly.  We're in the line up for the 6pm ferry.  

To Children's Today

Luk has an appointment to see his Orthopedic Surgeon.  She is assessing how the leg orthotics are working for him.  Today decides if he is heading for spinal surgery or not.  

Eric decided last minute to join us.  Which meant Kai has to come.  Kai and Luk have new BC Ferry disability passes that we haven't used yet.  I was oddly thrilled that Kai and his escort (me) were traveling half price today.  Eric (driver) and Luk (patient) are covered on the tap form.  Which arrived by mail yesterday.  Cut that close!  Anyways....we are here in line but i was looking at the receipts to see why it was $5 more than I expected and Kai went through as a disabled adult.  Which started the whole debate of 'do I go back'.  

Ya'll, I really, really don't love what is happening to our highway.  I jumped paperwork hoops to get them those cards.  So, I hoofed it back and got it corrected. Big grin.  Eric wouldn't have bothered. He didn't do all the paperwork.  I got back in the car and said "worth it".  Haha.  It probably would have bothered me all day, I can let it go now.  

The boys are watching Pirates of the Caribbean AGAIN.  I've never actually seen it but I've heard it a lot.  

We ate before we left so it will be a long crossing without a meal to occupy our time.  I have lots of snack and meal items packed to keep me on shedule.  Today was an Ozempic shot.  It really, really makes me feel full, so zero appetite.  I won't feel hunger until next Tuesday or Wednesday when the shot is wearing off.  

Of course goals are to get the diabetes under control again to get back off meds however, and it's a big however.  The Ozempic is really helping the short bowel syndrome.  In a life altering good way.  The same drug is in trials right now for short bowel syndrome.  A couple people in my support group are in the trial.  One clearly getting the meds and she reports it's working for her too!  

Lili is working today.  Fei and Jia are taking James to the Hand of Man Museum, then to Cowichan Bay and The Rock Cod for dinner.

More Photo Catch Up.

Kayaking in Gordon Bay.

Eric hiked and swam.  The unthinkable happened.  He fell. He never falls. He cut his elbow pretty badly. He came home with paper towel held on with electrical tape.  

He was bandaged properly at home but we had to send pics to our nurse Fei while she was out because we couldn't stop the bleeding. She said pressure so we very tightly put medical tape accross the 3rd bandage.

I think I better go back down and make sure he releases that pressure.

Why, yes, they do play Chinese Checkers in China.

Tonights crew went to an owl event at the Raptor Center.

Jia's World

I just did payroll for July.  Then did our personal deposits and paid our bills while making sad faces through it all.  

I just texted Jia that she had a 3rd paycheque deposited.  Told her the amount of her last deposit and her total balance.  She responded with YAY! I'M RICH.  

I want to live in Jia's world for a minute.  

Barbie

They raided my closet.  Too funny.  We were at a matinee.  Most people had pink on.  When we came out of the movie the lobby was a sea of pink.  I didn't personally love the movie but I'm glad we were together and a part of the social phenomenon.  There were a lot of laughs in the movie for sure.  I wouldn't watch it again.  I was pleasantly surprised that Simu Liu was one of the Kens!  I guess I just really missed the message.  James and the girls thought it was about equality, I thought the men were made to look stupid and useless throughout the whole thing.  

Parksville Sandcastles 

Qualicum museum.

Rathtrevor Beach

They finally made it to Qualicum for their fish tacos and dole whip.  Lili says it's still worth the drive.